Ignite
by SweetMandyB
Summary: Bella Swan and Edward Masen were ten year old soulmates. Bella moved to New York and gets engaged to a famous NFL player. But she has some old business back in Forks to take care of first. Can Bella and Edward reignite old flames before it’s too late?
1. Beginnings

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I do not own Twilight or Sweet Home Alabama.

I got my inspiration for this story from the movie Sweet Home Alabama. Any direct quotes from the movie are in italics. No copyright infringement is intended. The story is different, but that's where I got the general storyline.

Summary: Bella Swan and Edward Masen were ten year old soul mates. Bella moved to New York and gets engaged to a famous NFL player. But, she has some old business back in Forks to take care of first. Can Bella and Edward reignite old flames before it's too late? All human, normal pairings. Eventually.

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**Disclaimer: All direct quotes from the movie Sweet Home Alabama are in italics. Thanks guys. Review and let me know if this story is any good? Or if I should take it down and start a new one. Thanks! **

**Third Person POV**

**Bella and Edward: Age 10**

Bella and Edward were bundled up in their winter coats, running down the cold white sand of First Beach, chasing after each other. Their mothers, Elizabeth and Renee, were the best of friends. Edward's father had died two years ago in a car accident. Edward and his mother became part of the Swan family quickly. Bella and Edward were inseparable.

Edward was trying his hardest to talk Bella into marrying him. Elizabeth and Renee looked on, perched on a large rock. They were huddled together in a blanket.

"Do you think he'll ever convince her?" Elizabeth laughed. Renee thought for a moment.

"I think they're meant to be together, I've always thought that. It might take him 15 years or so, but I think she'll cave eventually," Renee shrugged, smiling. Nothing would make her happier than a married Edward and Bella.

"Bella Masen…" Elizabeth sighed, then broke into a wide grin, looking over at Renee.

"I like it," Renee decided.

"Bella, why won't you marry me?" Edward asked, running his hands through his hair. A nervous habit of his. Bella grunted, sinking into the sand, pulling her knees to her chest. Edward sat close beside her, loosely throwing an arm around her shoulders to keep her warm. Bella looked deep in thought for a moment.

"_Why do you want to marry me, anyway?" _Bella asked with a smirk. Edward leaned in, their noses almost touching.

"_So I can kiss you anytime I want,"_ he explained simply, leaning in further until their lips touched.


	2. Proposal

**Disclaimer: I don't own Sweet Home Alabama or Twilight. The proposal scene is from the movie. I promise, this story isn't exactly like the movie though, I've made significant changes. It was just my inspiration. As always, please review (or PM me with any questions or concerns) and let me know what you think. I'll post again tomorrow. This one should be fast-it's all outlined out. Also, the POV in this story will always be Bella. **

**Age 23 (Thirteen years later)**

I woke up to someone kissing my neck lightly. I groaned involuntarily; my neck was very stiff. So much so, I was afraid to move it. I must have fallen asleep at my computer again.

"Baby, come to bed," Jake whispered, wrapping his strong arms around me. "You have a big day tomorrow." He reminded me. I nearly jumped out of my skin, wiping the sleep from my eyes.

"No, Jake, I can't. I have a huge meeting with my editor early in the morning, and then my book release tomorrow evening, I have to get this proposal done for the sequel." I said, panicking, re-reading what I had so far. I knew where I wanted this story to go eventually, but I couldn't just jump ahead two books.

"Honey… Jake warned, tightening his grip around me. I didn't budge. I gripped the edges of my desk in protest. Jake won out in the end. He was 250 pounds of pure muscle. And I had about 5 pounds of muscle. He picked me up, bridal style, and carried me to our bedroom, seemingly unfazed by my squirming in protest.

Jake and I met shortly after I moved to New York City. I needed to escape the tiny town of Forks and all the memories that were there. It was suffocating me, my dreams were bigger than that town. I couldn't afford to go to college, but I'd gotten a loan and enrolled in a few writing classes, and began writing my first book about a year ago. I took it to a publisher, who loved it, and got me in touch with a publicist that rapidly became my best friend. Her name was Alice Brandon, and she was outgoing and bubbly, but she was good for me. I was a small town girl from Washington, and she made my image much more professional. She helped me design my closet, and got me lots of designer clothes. Apparently, her sister Mary worked for Saks Fifth Avenue and got an amazing discount. I think I owned the majority of the store by now. I met Jake not long after at a function with my publishing company. He is a linebacker for the New York Giants, and is pretty well known. In fact, after our first date, there was a picture of us in the Star Tracks of PEOPLE magazine. Thankfully, my name wasn't mentioned. After that, Alice thought it would be wise that I get a penname, just in case. It quickly became my identity, though. I kept my first name, I just used my full first name, and I didn't want to give that up. But, Jake actually didn't even know my real last name. _Isabella James. _That was my pen name, and my real name as far as anyone in New York City was concerned. I'd disclosed to Alice the extent of what I left behind in Forks, and we both agreed (if I became well known after this book) that the press would have a field day with any of that information, and my character would be questioned. This way, I cannot be traced to Forks, Washington.

"Hey. Isabella!" Jake called, waving a hand in front of my face. I snapped out of my trance. I shook my head, trying to clear my head of what I left behind.

"I'm sorry baby, I got distracted," I told him, cuddling into his side in our bed. He kissed the top of my head.

"That's okay. Lets get some sleep; you have a very big day tomorrow." Again with the reminding. Did he think I was going to forget? I only nodded, slipping out of my sweatpants, leaving me in only Jake's large practice jersey and a lacy pair of panties. I rested my head on Jake's muscular, toned chest, but I couldn't get comfortable. After he fell asleep, I gently pulled away to sleep on "my side" of the bed. I was asleep in seconds.

I woke up the next morning to the wonderful smell of eggs and coffee. I tiptoed through the chilly apartment to the kitchen, where Jake was shirtless, wearing only a pair of black boxers. He was making me one of his famous omelet's. My stomach growled in anticipation. Jake turned to look over his shoulder and laughed.

"Hungry?" he guessed, laughing. I walked over, wrapping my arms around his waist, pressing my face between his shoulder blades.

"You're wonderful, Jake. I love you." I kissed his spine, sending a small shiver down it. I smiled, I loved knowing the effect I had on him. He handed me a cup of coffee.

"Why don't you go sit down and stop distracting me so I don't burn your breakfast." He suggested with a chuckle. I groaned, but quietly obeyed, taking a seat at the table, looking out the window. It was a nice fall New York day. He served me breakfast, and I ate quickly. Too soon, Alice would be here to make me over.

When I had first met Alice, she'd given me a "full makeover". She had my hair cut and dyed a shade darker, I began a fitness regimen, but just to tone. But clothes and make up were the biggest change. I'd come to New York feeling plain and out of place. Now, with my sophisticated look, I fit right in. She finished my look rather quickly. My hair was curled loosely around my face, and I was in a black sweater dress with knee high black boots. I wore an emerald necklace and a green headband. Jake gave a whistle of approval, and promised to meet me at the book launch after his practice. I kissed him passionately goodbye, and he wished me luck. He seemed nervous today, and I loved him so much more for being nervous for me.

To my great surprise, my editor absolutely loved the proposal I had in mind for the sequel. She'd actually asked for the first 3 chapters sometime in the next three months. It would be possible, since I'd decided against a book tour, against Alice's wishes. Book tour meant publicity, which meant my identity might leak to my parents back in Forks.

I had done a few TV shows (the ones I knew no one in Forks watched) to do some pre-release publicity, but that was it.

After I was done with the meeting, I went back to the apartment I shared with Jake. To my amazement, the apartment was filled with roses of every color. They were in vases, and there were petals on the floor. I checked the answering machine. There was one message, from Jake.

"Hey baby. I know you love fresh flowers, and I just wanted to tell you how proud of you I am and how much I love you. I can't wait to celebrate with you tonight at the party. Hey, a little bad news, though," my heart sank momentarily before he continued, "I have a last minute meeting. I'm having a driver pick you up and take you to where I'll be. At least we can arrive together now, like a real couple. I love you, Isabella James! See you tonight". The machine beeped, indicating there were no more new messages. I stared, in complete awe, for several minutes before working up the energy to walk to the bedroom to take a much needed nap.

As promised, a driver picked me up. Alice said she wasn't happy about this, but her face told me otherwise. The streets were dark and the windows were tinted, so I had a hard time placing where we where. After about a ten minute car ride, the car stopped, and the driver came around to open my door.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Black will just be a moment, I'll take you to him," he said kindly, offering me his arm. I gratefully took it, relieved that he was going to escort me to Jacob. I was uneasy not knowing where I was. The driver led me through a few dark service corridors before Jake emerged from a doorway looking the most handsome I'd ever seen him. He was wearing all black with an emerald green tie, to match my outfit.

"You are beautiful, Isabella," he whispered, kissing me softly before leading me down an even darker hallway. This was officially creepy.

"Jake, where the hell are we? We're going to be late!" I said, slightly worried.

"Iz, this will just take a moment. Don't spoil this" he warned, stepping into a completely dark room. Just then, the lights came up, momentarily blinding me. It took me a moment to get my bearings and realize where I was.

I was standing in the middle of Tiffany's with Jake kneeling in front of me, my hands folded in his.

"Isabella, you are the most wonderful, talented, smart and beautiful woman I've come in contact with in my 25 years of life. I love you with all my heart. Marry me?" he asked, simply. I nodded, unable to even say the word "yes", I was so choked with emotion. I pulled him up and jumped into his arms. He swung me around, both of us laughing. After a moment, he kissed me passionately, and set me to the ground gently. He waved around the room.

"_Pick one_", he whispered.

**Next Chapter: The Book Launch**

_"Jake, I need to do something, and I need you to trust me."_


	3. Fears

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or Sweet Home Alabama. **

**Please send me a review and let me know what you are thinking. Next chapter, two of your favorite men will make their entrance. There will be some flashbacks as well. :) If I get enough reviews I may post it tomorrow. :) **

**Bella, age 23**

I was completely overwhelmed. My head was spinning.

I was engaged to Jacob Black.

After I had picked out the ring I wanted, Jake slipped it on my left ring finger. He was beaming down at me, and swept me off my feet and into his arms, giving me a long, passionate kiss. The employees of the store began clapping. My cheeks flamed, and I giggled into Jake's mouth. He set me down, and we stared into each others eyes for what seemed like an eternity. Whatever it was it wasn't long enough. He took my left hand in his, bringing it to his mouth for a kiss, keeping his eyes locked on mine.

"Now, my fiancée," he beamed at the word, mirroring my own face, "we must get you off to the book launch," he said, taking my hand to lead me back outside into the city. I was holding in a scream of excitement, and once we stepped outside after thanking the manager, I could no longer hold it in. I squealed in happiness and threw myself into my fiancé's arms, wrapping my legs around his waist, crashing my lips to his. I moved my hands from his hair to each side of his face.

At this point, I didn't care about the book launch. I just wanted to go back to the apartment and celebrate. Jake must have been thinking the same thing, because his hands moved from being locked around my waist to my butt. I laughed, and unlocked my legs from his waist. He carefully set me back on the ground, but held my face in his hands.

"Isabella, have I told you how I much I love you in the last five minutes. You have just made me the happiest man alive. I will spend the rest of my life trying to make you happy." He said solemnly.

"I love you too, Jake. And you don't have to try to make me happy. I'm there", I promised. He bent down and kissed me passionately, making me gasp for breath when he pulled away. He chuckled, took my hand and led me back to the limo. Once we were inside, he immediately put the partition up between us and the driver, and I climbed onto his lap, straddling his waist.

Too soon, the limo stopped in front of the venue for the book launch. I groaned. Jake kissed my cheek.

"Later, sweetheart . But right now, we need to go celebrate the fact that we are engaged, and you published your book," he said, beaming. Then, a thought hit me with the force of a Mack truck.

My parents.

"Jake, I need you to do something, and I need you to trust me," I said quickly before getting out of the car. I moved off his lap and sunk back into the leather seat beside him. He looked confused, but nodded in agreement.

"Jake…I know you want to announce this tonight, but I need to tell my parents in person. I haven't seen them since I left, and I do not want them to find out from the press." I said, trying my hardest not to panic. He thought for a moment, and took my hand from its place on my lap, moving the ring from my left ring finder to my right, and spun the ring around so the diamond would not be visible.

"Thank you, Jake," I breathed in relief. He pulled out his cell phone.

"How about I book a flight out for us tomorrow, and we can tell them together?" he suggested excitedly, holding the phone to his ear.

A horrified expression, I'm sure, crossed my face and I snatched the phone from his ear and ended the phone call. He was frozen in shock. I never behaved like this.

"No, Jake. I need to go alone," I said, not able to look into his eyes as I said it. I know how badly it would hurt him. He'd been begging me for months to meet my parents, but I always found an excuse to get out of it. I talked to my parents at least once a week, and they knew all about Jake and were just as excited to meet him, but for some reason I just couldn't take that step. I hated myself for it. A part of me wanted to just bite the bullet and take Jake back. But there was one thing holding me back. Edward.

"Bella…" Jake groaned in frustration. "I have to meet them eventually. Where does this end? Do I get to meet them at the wedding?" he was frustrated with me, and I could tell it was boiling over quickly to anger.

"Jake, I will tell them, and you can fly out the next day. I promise. I just need to do this alone." I begged for him to understand. He thought for a moment, staring into my eyes, searching for something. A moment later, he must have found what he was looking for, because his angry expression softened. He nodded, and leaned over and kissed my head.

"Alright, but please fly out tomorrow morning, before the press finds out. They'd have a hayday with this, you know." Jake warned, "But I won't fly out the next day, Iz. Just get an open ended ticket, and when you're ready, call me and I will be on the next plane out. I'll meet them tonight, I'll meet them next week, I'll meet them a year from now. Whenever you're ready, Iz." He promised. Tears sprung into my eyes, but I refused to let them fall. He was caressing my cheek.

"Thank you Jake," I said, leaning in to kiss him softly on the lips. He nodded and took my hand in his.

"Now, lets go. This is your night." He reminded me and we stepped out of the limo. Almost immediately we were blinded by flashbulbs. Jake and I both smiled at the cameras, but he held my right hand firmly in his as we made our way up to the launch party. There were already quite a few people here, but it didn't look like I was too late. I was relieved that my engagement ring was buried inside of Jake's hand for the better part of the night. I wasn't sure how ready I was for that yet.

The next morning, Jake took me to the airport. I was sitting in the waiting area and decided to grab a cup of coffee and a magazine. As I stepped into the small airport store for a magazine before getting coffee I froze. There, on the front of several tabloids was my face. It was even on the front page of a news paper. With a shaky hand, I reached up to pick up the newspaper to see what it said. I nearly fainted when I read the headline.

_Author James, Giants Black to Wed._

No.

There was a zoomed in photo of my engagement ring. No. No. No.

Before I could even think any further, my cell phone went off. I checked the caller ID.

Alice.

I was so dead.

"Hello?" I choked out.

"Bella!" she sounded frantic. "Is it true?!" she shrieked. I set the newspapers back and quickly made my way out of the store and into a secluded hallway.

"Yes," I barely whispered, but Alice heard.

"WHAT?! And the press found out about it before me? Why didn't you call me?!" she demanded. I wasn't sure if she was angry with me as my publicist or as a friend for not telling her immediately after it happened.

"Alice," I said, closing my eyes, feeling the tears build up behind them. "I'm so, so sorry. Things were hectic last night with the launch. When we got back to our apartment we both fell right asleep, I'm sorry, I meant to call you." I said, choking with emotion.

"Bella, it's okay, I was just giving you a hard time. Are you okay?" she asked, concerned.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Can I call you back in a few hours?" I asked, wiping my face.

"Sure honey. Call me later. Love 'ya!" she said, happy again. I sighed in relief.

I'm not sure why I didn't tell Alice I was flying home. I didn't want her to stop me I guess. I sauntered back to my gate and sunk into a chair near the door to my gate. My flight was beginning to board. I began to panic as I thought about what I would be facing when I went home. My parents, my friends. And the one person that I had run away from. I'd left five years ago without looking back. I was so afraid first of all, that people would find out I was engaged from the papers before I could tell anyone.

I sat on the plane in my first class seat, going over the events of last night. Jake had been wonderful, and even reacted perfectly when my editor asked him if he had _future_ plans to propose. The launch had gone wonderfully, and I was proud of myself for finishing the book. Here I was, a long plane ride ahead of me, and I couldn't concentrate long enough to even start writing the sequel that my editor was so eager for me to finish. I tried to focus on breathing deeply. In and out. It worked until take off. Once I was in the air, I tried my hardest to starve off a panic attack. But not because I had to tell my parents I was engaged.

I had to ask my husband for a divorce.

**NEXT CHAPTER: Bella asks Edward for a divorce.**

_"Now get your stubborn ass down here and give me a divorce"._


	4. Edward

**Author's Note: I'm not sure how I feel about this chapter, I don't think it's my best. But this is the only chapter will be almost directly from the movie. After this, it'll be different. Thanks again for reading and for those of you that alerted, favorited and reviewed! It really inspires me to write more! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own. **

I had decided to go ahead and drive straight to Edward's. Hopefully, he still lived in our old house. I wonder if he'd changed anything. Had he moved on? He couldn't be remarried, because the stubborn ass refused to sign divorce papers. Several times a year for the past five years. The memory of my last few days at that house sent searing pain pulsing through my heart.

The moment I landed, I rented a car, and began the several hour drive to Forks. As I drove carefully on the rain soaked highways, I called Alice. I had several hours to talk, and figured that might be enough for Alice, if I was careful. She answered almost immediately.

"Bella!"

"Hey, sorry about that." I apologized.

"No problem. So details please!" she demanded excitedly. I laughed.

"Get right to the point, huh, Alice?"

"Bella, stop it. I don't have the time or the patience. I have to do some serious damage control".

"Alright, alright." I jumped into the story, only pausing to allow Alice to squeal when I told her about the ring, and how he let me pick any one out.

"Well where are you? Why don't we have lunch so that I can see your rock?" she suggested. I bit my bottom lip in nervousness.

"Um, I can't do lunch, Alice, I'm sorry. I'm out of town." I admitted quickly. Silence.

"What? I'm your publicist? You don't leave town without your publicist" she said, matter of factly.

"Alice, I'm sorry, but I had to get out of town quickly. I'm in Washington; I have some things to take care of." I told her honestly. I had disclosed to Alice most everything that had happened back in Forks before I left, but I'd left out the fact that Edward had refused to grant me a divorce. She thought we were divorced shortly after I moved to New York.

"Oh. My. Gosh." She said, obviously completely stunned.

"I know," I agreed with a laugh.

"Bella, do you want me to fly out for moral support? I could take a few days off work?" she offered. Alice was too sweet.

"Thanks, but I think I'm okay for now. I'll be sure to let you know if I change my mind though, okay? Thank you so much for the offer. It means a lot to me". I told her sincerely.

"Okay, well be sure to call me and let me know how things go."

I exited the highway about twenty minutes after I hung up with Alice, and arrived in the town of Forks not long after. As I passed the "Welcome to Forks" sign, I had so many conflicting emotions it overwhelmed me.

First, I noticed a smile was tugging at the corner of my lips. As much as I loved New York City, Forks felt like home. I relaxed slightly just at the fact that I was _here_. Secondly, and most prominent, was fear. I was driving to the house that I once shared with my soon to be ex husband Edward. We had a lot of very happy memories there, and one very sad, marriage-wrecking memory. I shuddered at the thought, blinking back tears. If I was going to face Edward, I needed to be strong. I turned onto our street, and my heart beat quickened ever so slightly. I took a deep breath, reminding myself why I was here. I slipped off my engagement ring, and set it in a zipped pocket of my purse. I pulled into the driveway, and sat in the car, looking it over for a moment.

At first sight, the house was exactly how I left it five years ago. It was a small white cottage with blue shudders. My dream house. The house had been Edward's parents first home, and they passed it onto us when we were married, as a wedding gift. I had loved this house. The landscaping around the house was mainly the same, but there were some small additions. No doubt, Elizabeth's, who was Edward's mother, doing. There was a new silver Volvo further up the driveway. I took a deep breath.

Okay Bella. It's now or never. I took one last look at myself in the mirror, fixing my hair. I laughed a little to myself. He was never going to recognize me. First of all, I had dyed my hair a few shades darker when I left. Then, per Alice's request, I'd joined a local gym and was much leaner and toned than I was five years ago. I have always been slim; I had just taken to being more toned in my new life in the city. My eyes were really the only thing that was unchanged. Even my style had changed significantly, thanks to Alice. I stepped out of the car confidently, slinging my large black purse over my shoulder. I grabbed the blue folder off the front seat. I looked up at the house, pausing, unsure of what to do next. Luckily for me, the front door swung open to reveal Edward. I froze. He looked the same, only a little worn and a little older. He also needed to shave. He was wearing jeans and a t-shirt. I smiled up at him, and he was beaming.

"Hi there, can I help you with anything?" he asked politely. I shook my head in laughter. Oh this could be fun. I just stared up at him. Did he seriously not recognize his own wife?

"Yeah. _You can get your stubborn ass down here and give me a divorce_."

Edward just stared at me, his jaw dropping to the floor.

"Bella…" he whispered. I wasn't sure if he was waiting for confirmation or not. I crossed my arms across my chest, raising an eyebrow at him.

"Edward, I just want a divorce. Can you please sign these papers?" I sighed, stepping forward to hand him the papers. As I stepped forward he stepped back. Suddenly, his facial expression was furious.

"What the hell are you doing here?" he snapped.

"This has gone on long enough. I'll leave the second you just sign the damn papers". I yelled. He was so difficult. Why wouldn't he let this go? He didn't respond, he just turned on his heel and went back into the house, slamming the door behind him. I rolled my eyes.

Fine, if he wants to play games, I will too. I marched to the side of the house, reaching into the potted plant, retrieving the spare key.

As I walked into the house, I nearly gasped. It was exactly as I'd left it years ago. The bedroom door was shut, and I could hear Edward talking to someone. I looked around the living room. Our wedding picture was still resting on the mantel. As I looked around, I realized that he hadn't changed _anything. _There was even a picture of my parents and I on our wedding day still hanging on the wall, next to the picture of Edward and his parents. I sat on the barstool in the kitchen, waiting for Edward to emerge from the bedroom. When he did, he jumped slightly when he saw me. He looked shocked. I rolled my eyes, holding up the spare key.

"_Next time you lock someone out of the house, make sure they don't know where the spare key is hidden_." He was angry. He walked slowly towards me.

"_That's the thing about spare keys…it would be nice if your wife told you where it was_". He said angrily.

"I'm not your wife." I snapped.

"You're holding a stack of divorce papers that say otherwise". He snapped back.

Before I could even get a witty response out of my mind, I saw police lights streaming through the window.

"You called the cops on me?!" I asked, incredulous. He was unbelievable. He just smirked, and let in the cop.

My father, Charlie, was the chief of police, and I didn't want it to get back to my parents that I stopped at Edward's first. I hadn't told them about the divorce either. Not that I lied, they just never asked about it, and I never volunteered any information.

This wasn't worth it. I started to get up and slip out the door I'd come in. Just as I reached the door, I heard a familiar voice behind me.

"Excuse me miss, do we have a problem here?"

No. It couldn't be. I whirled around.

"Emmett?!" I gasped. No way. I must be seeing things, right?

Emmett was Edward's best friend in high school and the best man at our wedding. I felt the tears spring into my eyes. I didn't really how much I missed him. I forgot completely what was going on, and flung myself into his arms. He picked me up and spun me around. I was laughing so hard, the tears fell from my eyes. He set me down.

"Bella? Is that you? Is it really you?!" he asked, looking into my eyes. I smiled and nodded.

"Yep, it's me. Different clothes and hair, but it's still me" I reassured. Edward cleared his throat behind us.

"Emmett." He snapped, venom dripping from his voice. "Focus please."

"Oh, right," Emmett said, snapping out of it. "Bella, _I'm going to have to escort you out_". He said, putting his hand on my elbow. I could tell he was trying very hard not to smile.

"_Get him to sign these papers and I'll let you run me out of town_". I promised, handing Emmett the divorce papers. Edward came over to us then.

"No, Emmett, that's none of your business," Edward said, his voice panicking. Emmett read the papers, confused. He looked up at Edward.

"Edward, I thought you said this was finalized years ago," Emmett looked at Edward, a look of betrayal painted across his features.

"_Obviously not_," I snapped, before Edward could even answer. Emmett, still hurt, set the papers on his coffee table.

"_Well, if you're not divorced, there's nothing I can do Edward. It's her house, too_."

Emmett turned to me then.

"_He didn't hit you did he_?" Emmett asked playfully, raising an eyebrow at Edward. "_Because we take that pretty seriously nowadays. If you tell me he hit you, I'll take him in right now_". Emmett said seriously, although I knew both Edward and I knew he was fighting a smile again. I pretended to hesitate for a moment, glancing between Edward and Emmett.

"No, Emmett," I said finally. Edward's scowl softened, but only slightly. "Edward never hit me". I said softly.

"It's good to have you back, Bella," Emmett said sincerely, smiling.

"I'm not back, Emmett. As soon as Edward signs these papers I'm going back to New York." The moment I said it, Edward and Emmett exchanged a look.

"Bella, how about you and I take a drive or something?" Emmett said, pleading for me to say yes with his eyes. I nodded slowly, picking up the papers from the coffee table and walking out of the house, without meeting Edward's eyes. I paused at the door, glancing behind me, but still not meeting his eyes.

"Look Edward, I didn't want it to come to this, but if you don't sign these papers, I'm going to have to get lawyers involved. I don't want anything from you, if that's what you're worried about. I just want out. You can have the house, the furniture, everything. I just want out". I said softly, as kindly as I could, before walking out of the house.

For the last time, I vowed to myself.

**Next Chapter: Emmett and Bella talk. **

**"**_Edward's not the only person you ran out on"_


	5. Emmett

**Disclaimer: I do not own. **

Emmett and I agreed to meet at the diner. I followed him there, and parked next to his cruiser. We were quiet until we ordered. Emmett looked…nervous? I couldn't tell. I used to be able to read him like an open book, but it had been a long time.

He looked up at me, and I could see the pain in his eyes. It confused me.

"I've missed you," I whispered, reaching across the table to touch his hand. He smiled up at me.

"I've missed you, too, Bells. We all have", he told me in barely a whisper.

"Really?" I was slightly surprised by his admission.

"Of course, Bella. _It's not like Edward was the only one you ran out on"._

"I know, Emmett," I said softly, looking down at my coffee. "I'm sorry, but after everything that happened, I just needed a change." I admitted, shrugging my shoulders.

"That included leaving everyone that cared about you?" he asked. I thought for a moment. I didn't answer until I could see Emmett had calmed down. I had to remind myself that Emmett still, as far as I know, did not know the circumstances that caused Edward's and my marriage to go south.

"Bella, can I ask you a question?" Emmett asked quietly.

"You can ask, I may not answer". I told him honestly.

"What happened that day?" he asked.

_**Flashback-BPOV**_

_4 ½ years earlier- just before high school graduation _

This could just not be happening. I was eighteen years old. I was sitting on the floor of my bathroom, shaking. My parents wouldn't be home for hours. I couldn't stop staring at the stick.

Pregnant.

I clumsily lunged for the phone that was on the countertop, and it clattered to the floor. I picked it up again, and had to dial the phone number four times until I got it right. He picked up on the second ring.

"Edward? Can you come over?" I choked out, the tears sliding down my cheeks.

_**End Flashback**_

Edward and I were married the fall after graduation. I'd gone to the doctor, who had confirmed I was pregnant. Edward's mother, Elizabeth, and my mother were "disappointed in us" at first, but they quickly grew to be more excited than Edward and I were. Edward and I didn't get married because I was pregnant, although that expedited the engagement, I'll admit. We could have gotten married our sophomore year in high school. We were both so sure about our relationship and about our love for each other then.

_**Flashback-BPOV**_

_November. Edward and Bella have been married for 2 months. _

Edward and I were completely, blissfully happy. Edward and I were snuggled up on the couch in front of a fire. I was leaning against his chest, sitting between his legs. His hands were underneath my shirt, tracing patterns on my small baby bump.

"What do you think he'll be when he grows up?" Edward whispered into my ear. I shivered involuntarily, but giggled at his question. I placed my hands over his.

"How are you so sure this baby is a boy?" I asked, laughing. He shrugged, and mumbled something about a feeling into my shoulder.

I sighed. I was feeling guilty. I wasn't sure I wanted this baby. I went back and forth. Edward was very persuasive. But I still wasn't sure. I had a lot of things I wanted to pursue before I became a parent. How was I supposed to raise a baby at 19?! I was still just a kid myself! I couldn't share these thoughts with my husband. He was just so…elated. All the time. He had no fears about becoming a parent. I'd wished so many times that I would go to the doctor, and they'd tell me they'd made a mistake, and I wasn't pregnant. But it never happened. I was always healthy. We hadn't even told our friends yet, at my insistence. The doctor agreed with me, saying it was wise to keep this news to ourselves until I entered my second trimester.

The next day, I was in the shower. I'd been feeling off all day. I looked down at the shower floor and saw a thin pink line going down the drain. Then, I saw where it was coming from. Blood was seeping from between my legs. I panicked. This couldn't be normal, could it? I stopped the water immediately, and pulled a towel around my body, tucking it underneath my arms. I suddenly felt tired and dizzy.

"Edward?" I called out. It came out as a whisper. I tried again, but it wasn't much louder. I slumped over, now laying on the cold, tiled bathroom floor. Everything was fuzzy. The last thing I remembered was a set of panicked emerald eyes.

_**End of Flashback**_

"Bella? Bella…snap out of it!" Emmett said, reaching over the table to shake my shoulder slightly. I shook my head clear.

"Oh, I'm sorry Em." I said, my voice shaking from the painful memories.

"Bella…what happened? What could have been so bad that it completely ruined your marriage?" he asked, begging to understand. I shook my head.

"Emmett, I would really like to tell you, I really would. But you are Edward's friend. It's his story to tell in this situation." I said, apologetically. He looked at me sadly, but nodded.

"I get that. But Bella, I know you're still holding something against him. I think you need to know what's gone on here while you've been gone…" Emmett said. I just nodded at him to continue.

"I'm not going to tell you how devastated he was when you left, because I know you know that. I mean, why else wouldn't he sign those papers?" he asked, rhetorically. He thought for a moment, and then obviously decided to say something completely different.

"Did you know he went up there…or over? I'm not sure. But he went to New York, about a year after you left." My head snapped up. I hadn't known that.

"I don't know if he saw you or not…I mean, he refused to tell anyone anything when he came back. But he hasn't been the same. He's….just, please be careful with him, Bella." Emmett pleaded with me. I nodded.

As I drove away from Emmett, I knew I had only one choice. I had to talk to Edward. I needed to find out why he came to New York, and what happened when he was there. Or, I could talk to the one woman who would know what happened, even if he hadn't told her.

**Next Chapter: Bella pays a visit to Elizabeth.**

_"Did I love Jacob?" _


	6. Elizabeth

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight or Sweet Home Alabama. **

**Warning. Cliffie at the end. Review please! I'll give you an update tomorrow, because it's my birthday Thursday so I won't have much time to update over the weekend. :) Thanks for all the love. If you have suggestions or ideas, please let me know. **

I decided to stop by my parents' first. My father, Charlie, was the chief of police, and my mother Renee organized little league baseball at the park district. I checked the clock on the dashboard of my rental car. It was 7:33 in the evening. I was sure that my parents had just finished eating dinner. They were pretty predictable. They ate dinner every night at 6:30. After dinner, my mom did laundry or paid bills and my dad sat in his recliner and watched ESPN until it was time to go to bed. I pulled into the driveway, and sure enough, the house was pretty dark with the exception of the glow of the TV from the front living room. My excitement grew as I jumped out of the car and rang the doorbell. When my mom came to the glass storm door, a look of complete shock crossed her face, followed shortly by a smile. She threw open the door and jumped into my arms.

"Bella! Is that really you?!" My mother squealed, squeezing me in a tight hug.

"Mom…hurting…daughter…can't breathe…" I gasped, laughing. She pulled back slightly before dragging me into the house.

"Charlie!" she yelled, pulling me into the living room. My dad looked up from the TV, slightly exasperated until we locked eyes. Then, he looked just as shocked as my mom had been.

"Bella?" he asked, obviously noticing the change in my appearance.

"Yeah, dad, it's me," I told him softly, breaking out of my moms grasp to hug him tightly. He held me tightly for a moment, and then pulled away slightly, holding me at arms length.

"I can't believe you're finally here…and you look…you just look beautiful, Bells. New York looks good on you," he laughed.

"Thanks dad," I told him with a smile, before taking a seat on the sofa that was next to the couch. My mom came to sit next to me, and she ran a hand through my hair.

"Baby, I'm so happy you're back," she said softly.

"I'm not back mom," I told her gently, internally rolling my eyes. "I'm just here for a visit". This was exactly why I did not come for a visit. They'd jump to the conclusion I was here to stay. They were probably hoping I'd get back together with Edward. In the short amount of time that Edward and I were married, my father and him were inseparable.

"Make sure you stop by to see Edward while you're here!" my dad added happily. Had he forgotten that Edward and I were no longer together?

See? Predictable.

"Dad, I actually saw Edward, and he wasn't thrilled that I'm here…" I told him, wishing I would have kept that to myself.

"You went and saw Edward before you came to see your father and I?" my mom asked, sounding hurt.

"Mom, Edward was the main purpose of this visit. I wanted to get the business with him out of the way so that I could sit and visit with you and dad," I told them truthfully.

"Why? What happened?" my dad asked, sounding alarmed. Since I was here to tell them about my engagement to Jake, I really didn't want to tell them I was technically still married to Edward.

"Nothing, dad". I said firmly. He dropped it.

"So, Bella, catch us up on what's new. How's that new friend of yours?" my mother asked. I rolled my eyes. She refused to refer to Jake as my boyfriend.

"He's good, thanks," I said, "I actually have some big news." I wrung my hands in nervousness. I did not miss the slightly panicked look that passed between my parents.

"Oh yeah? What's that?" Renee asked, sounding slightly bored. I reached into my bag and pulled out my engagement ring, slipping it back on my left ring finger.

"Jake asked me to marry him," I said softly, admiring the ring.

"What did you say?" Renee asked in a panicked voice. Her eyes were wide, and she kept glancing over at my dad.

Wasn't it fairly obvious what I said? I am sitting here, wearing the ring.

"I agreed." I sighed in frustration.

"What about Edward?" my father asked, a completely heartbroken expression on his face. I truly felt back that I was the one that put it there, but it wasn't my fault that he was still holding on to Edward. Renee shot him a look, and he looked at me apologetically.

"Sorry Bella. It's just…I haven't met this Jack character". He waved, pretending his outburst was nothing.

"It's Jake," I said, desperately trying to hold my temper. He turned his attention back to ESPN.

"Honey, why don't we turn on the news or something. Bella's here, lets find out more about Jake". My mother suggested gently, placing a hand on my knee.

"Bella, honey, when do we get to meet this fiancé of yours?" she asked. I could tell that she wasn't thrilled at the fact her daughter was engaged to someone she had yet to meet, but at least she was trying. My dad was sulking in his chair like a six year old.

"Whenever you want. He could fly out in a few days if you want".

"That might be nice. How long will you be here?"

"I'm not sure yet. It depends...on Edward," I said softly, looking at my feet. My mother ran her hand through my hair again. I'd missed that feeling. When I was younger, whenever I was scared, nervous, or upset, she'd run her fingers through my hair, and everything would be okay again.

"Baby, what do you say we go for a drive? I know Elizabeth would love to see you". My mother suggested. I nodded.

Just the woman I wanted to see. Now, all I had to do was get rid of my mother to find out why Edward had come to New York.

Elizabeth Masen, Edward's mother, was a one of a kind woman. She was an interior designer, and had an office/showroom in town. She was best friends with my mother, and as such, like a second mother to me, even before she was my mother in law. The hardest part of leaving Edward was giving up his mother. She'd always been incredibly supportive of Edward's and my relationship, no matter what. I mourned for the fact that I lost her grandchild. She would have been a fantastic grandmother. My mom pulled up to Elizabeth's office, her car was still in the parking lot. I jumped out of the car before my mother even had it in park and ran up to the shop door. The bell rang as I flung it open. She looked up in alarm. She was sitting at her desk. Her pen dropped from her hand as she saw me. I laughed. She recognized me right away. A smile broke across her face and she jumped up to give me a bone crushing, Emmett worthy hug.

"Bella, darling, you look lovely," Elizabeth said, tears falling from her eyes. I didn't even realize I was crying as well until she brushed the tears from my cheeks.

"You look great too, Elizabeth. You haven't aged at all". I told her, sincerely. She choked between her laughter and tears, wrapping an arm around my shoulders and squeezing me tightly into my side, her other hand holding my face.

"Have I told you lately that you're my favorite daughter?" she asked. I laughed.

"I'm your only daughter". Suddenly, an unexpected wave of sadness washed over me. I wasn't her daughter anymore. She must have sensed it.

"You will always be my daughter, Bella." She whispered. I nodded, not trusting my voice. I looked around, remembering my mother was with me, but when I looked back out to the parking lot, her car was gone. She must have sensed that I needed some time alone with Elizabeth. She led me over to a comfortable couch, and I sunk into it beside her, wiping my tears again.

"So Bella, how have you been?" she asked excitedly.

This was harder to tell her than it was to tell my parents.

"I've been good. I'm engaged," I told her, flashing the ring. I saw sadness flash in her eyes, but she recovered quickly.

"I heard about that. It was all over that Entertainment Tonight TV show last night." She admitted. I groaned.

"So tell me about him?" she asked. I was at a loss for words. I didn't think I could.

"Well, he's a football player, and we live together in the city. His name is Jacob…" she cut me off there.

"Bella. I heard all that on ET. They gave me more information than you're giving me," she laughed. I looked down, feeling my cheeks flame in embarrassment.

"I know, I'm sorry, I just…what with," I stumbled over my words.

"It's okay. I won't lie to you, I'm heartbroken that you and Edward aren't together, and personally, I think you are both stubborn and making a mistake. Bella, if you tell me that this Jake makes you the happiest you've ever been, I will be elated for you. But if we're being honest Bella, you don't look the happiest I've ever seen you". She admitted. I took a deep breath.

"Elizabeth, Edward and I were young when we got married. Too young. We weren't prepared for what happened. I should have never married him. Not that I didn't love him, but our relationship wasn't strong enough to withstand the things that happened". I told her sadly. She thought for a moment before taking both my hands and responding.

"Bella, as a mother, I cannot even fathom the amount of pain you and Edward feel. I can't imagine working through that. But honey, you never gave Edward that chance. Neither of you have properly grieved for your child. Of course your relationship didn't stand a chance. I agree that you were both immature for marriage, but we didn't put up a fight because we all knew…well, know that you and Edward are made for each other. You have a lot of problems that will take a long time to face, but I believe with all my heart that it will work out." She was just as stubborn as her son. I twisted the ring on my finger, pondering her words.

Did I love Jacob?


	7. Jasper

**A/N: If you review I'll send 'ya a sneak peak of the next chapter. I can't promise anything, but I want to be able to post it later tonight. :) **

I shook that thought out of my head almost as soon as it had entered. I couldn't think about my engagement with Jacob right now. I came here with a purpose.

"Elizabeth, could I ask you something?"

"Anything", she said immediately.

"I heard that Edward came to New York. What happened? How come he didn't come and see me?" I asked, speaking too fast, even to keep up with myself. Elizabeth shook her head sadly.

"He won't ever say. He told me that he was going, but refused to talk about it when he came back. You should go over and talk to Carlisle and Esme though; he went over there a lot. He's close to them. If anyone knows anything about that trip, other than Edward of course, it's them."

Carlisle and Esme Cullen were Emmett's parents. I'd always been Edward's best friend, but Emmett was also Edward's "guy" best friend that he could do "guy" stuff with that he couldn't talk about or do with me. I never took it personally. Emmett had always been a great friend to both Edward and I, and he had been the one to take care of Edward after I'd left, or so I heard. I knew Carlisle and Esme, but not well enough that I would feel comfortable pumping them for information about Edward. They might not give me the information anyway, they knew how badly I hurt Edward. If I wanted answers to my questions, I was going to have to ask Edward. We could be adults and have a civil conversation, right?

"Alright Elizabeth, I should get going, it's getting late. Thanks for the talk," I said, standing to hug her. She hugged me tightly back.

"Don't be a stranger now. You make sure you come to say goodbye before you leave this time!" she joked, but I knew there was truth beneath the surface. Emmett's words jumped back into my mind.

_Edward wasn't the only one you ran out on. _

I decided to find Emmett at the local bar. The only bar in town. I knew it was their big hangout now, my parents always talked about running into Emmett there. Just as I was about to walk in my cell phone rang. I checked the display.

Jake.

I picked it up on the second ring.

"Hello?" I answered.

"Hey baby! How's Washington?! Is everyone impressed that _the_ Isabella James came home for a visit? I hope no one heard from the press…sorry about that baby, I have no idea how they got those pictures…" he said in a hurry.

"Jake, calm down, it's fine. A few friends heard from the press, but luckily my parents did not. They didn't announce it on ESPN. Yet." I laughed. It wouldn't be long.

"Did you give them the book?" he asked.

"Well, I mailed them the manuscript when I found out it was being published." I told him sadly. They'd never mentioned it, I have no idea if they read it or not.

"Don't worry about. I'm halfway through it, it's amazing." He said proudly.

How could I have ever doubted my love for this man? Someone that makes me feel better in an instant, without even saying anything particular.

"How are things going there, though? How'd they take the news?" he asked nervously.

"They're happy Jake, and they can't wait to meet you," I told him.

"Great! Do you want me to visit? I could come this week if you want. Although I should warn you. That damn publicist of yours will not leave me alone. She wants to come with me." He said. It made me sad that Alice and Jake didn't get along well. They were fine when I was there, for my sake, I think, but the second I left the two of them alone they fought like cats and dogs.

"Jake, I don't know if that's smart. I mean, I want you to meet them, but I want to give them a few days with just me. I think they're just a little shocked…" I trailed off, hoping that Jake wouldn't have hurt feelings. I needed to deal with Edward first, and I couldn't have Jake around while I did it.

"No problem, sweetheart. You just tell me when you want me to fly out and I'll make the arrangements. You're doing okay, though with everything? You don't talk much about your childhood and why you came to the city so young. Don't get me wrong, I'm so glad you did, but I'm figure that since you don't ever go back, something must have happened. I just want to make sure you're doing okay. Even if you want me out for support, I'll fly out. I'll hide in a hotel room until you're ready". I nearly cried at his suggestion, he was so sweet.

"Oh Jake, you are the most wonderful fiancé a girl could ask for. I'm really okay, though, for now. But I promise you, the moment I need you, I will make sure you're on the next plane out". I promised.

"Good. Alright, I'll let you get back to whatever you were doing. I love you, Iz. Call me if you need anything, even if you just need to vent. I miss you," he said sadly. I almost broke down and told him to get his butt on an airplane right this minute.

"I miss you, too, Jake. I love you. So, so much. And I can't wait to marry you." I told him sincerely.

After we hung up the phone, I wanted to cry and scream in frustration. Was it possible to love two very different people, with all of your heart? I needed to talk to someone, and I needed someone to know the whole story. I knew just the person. Alice.

Alice was just as kind as Jake had been on the phone. She was taking the red eye out of New York to Seattle. I was planning on picking her up at the airport at 5am. She knew most of the story, but I needed to give her the unplugged story, and I needed her to meet Edward. She'd know how to help me clean up this mess. I knew that this wasn't her job, but Alice was much more than just my publicist. She'd come to be a trusted friend. I knew I had to tell Jake the whole story, and I needed to do it like 6 months ago. But if I know Jake like I think I do, he will be kind and caring about the situation. Not mad and jealous. I hung up the phone with Alice, feeling much better, and walked into the bar. There weren't too many people at the bar, and I didn't know any of them, so I slid into a stool near the end of the bar to wait for Emmett to come in. I ordered a beer and sipped it, glancing around self consciously. A blonde man sat beside me, and I let my hair fall over my shoulder to shield my face. He chuckled loudly.

"You haven't changed a bit, have you, Bella?"

My head snapped up at the sound of my name. The second our eyes met, I know exactly who I was looking at. I jumped off my stool and launched myself into his arms.

"JASPER!" I nearly screamed. He chuckled again and hugged me tightly.

"Bella, it's so great to see you," he told me, speaking into my hair. After a moment, I pulled away.

"It's so great to see you, too, Jazz. You have no idea," I said, brushing my hair from my eyes. Jasper Hale was part of our "crowd" in high school. His sister was Rosalie Hale, the most beautiful girl in the school. She was a little stuck up and vain, but she wasn't ever really mean. Rosalie dated Emmett in high school. I wondered briefly if they were still together. I would have to remember to ask Emmett if they were still together. In high school, we always joked that Jasper had super powers. He was always able to sense people's moods and he was able to calm anyone with just a few words or a hug. He was amazing.

"I heard you got engaged and published a book," he said with a sad smile. No doubt he was thinking about Edward. I nodded to answer his question, glancing at the ring resting on my left hand.

For me, the hardest thing about divorce was the fact that friends felt the need to pick sides. I hadn't heard from any of Edward's and my mutual friends from high school after I left. Not that I had necessarily minded. I had Jake and Alice. They were all I needed. I never would have survived big city life without Jake. The bartender handed Jasper a beer.

"So does Edward know?" he asked, keeping his eyes down.

"No, and I'd really appreciate it if you didn't tell him. I'm not in town long, just long enough to-" he cut me off before I could finish, still staring at his beer.

"Divorce Edward. I got it." He said sadly. He finally looked up to look into my eyes. "Bella, I know it isn't any of my business, but have you actually talked to Edward lately?"

"No, he wouldn't really let me," I admitted.

"That's because you ambushed him at his house," Jasper argued. Before I could even defend myself, he cut me off again, holding up his hand in defense.

"Look Bella, I don't want to fight with you, but please don't be too hard on Edward. You weren't here when…" he trailed off, embarrassed about an obvious slip of the tongue. "I just…there might be more to the story than you know. Please be careful with him". He practically begged. I was so stunned I could only nod.

Five minutes later, I still hadn't recovered. Emmett walked into the bar, and came over to us, putting an arm around both Jasper and I.

"Well well well. Look what we have here. My brother in law and my kind of sister in law". Emmett chuckled. I snapped out of my trance.

Brother in law? Well…that could only mean one thing. Emmett was married. I was so heartbroken in that minute. I didn't know any of my friends anymore. I had never felt so alone in my life. I silently stood, pulled a $20 bill out of my wallet and left it at the bar. I walked out of the bar, got into my car and drove home. I was surprised to see that I was sitting outside my old house. Edward's house.

Before I could lose my nerve, I got out of the car, walked up to the front door and knocked loudly. He came to the door quickly, still dressed and chewing something. When he opened the door, his expression was guarded. I held up my hands.

"I come in peace. I promise".

**Next Chapter: Bella and Edward talk.**

_"Edward, I know people are keeping something about you a secret, and I need you to tell me what it is. I know we aren't together anymore, but that doesn't mean I love you any less". _


	8. Long Time Coming

**A/N: First of all, a few of you have been wondering just how big Bella and Jacob's engagement is. Jacob's fame is the equivelent of Tom Brady's, if that helps. Also, I know that this chapter is short. I was impatient and wanted to post it for you tonight. Let me know what you think, I had a hard time with this conversation. Don't get too excited, Bella still has a lot to sort out. Review please! As always, I do not own Twilight or Sweet Home Alabama. **

He didn't say anything, but he gave me a small smile, opening the door a little further, stepping aside to allow me inside. I sat on the love seat sofa that was closest to the fireplace, and he sat on the other side of it. The silence wasn't awkward, it was comfortable. I was relieved that he seemed to be just as nervous as I was. I shrugged out of my jacket, but my arm got stuck. I was only struggling for a moment before Edward chuckled and moved over to help me out of it.

"It's nice to see that some things about you haven't changed," he said sadly, draping my jacket on the back of the couch. I smiled, trying to decide quickly where to start.

"Edward…" I started, trying to think of the right words. He put up a hand to stop me and looked at his hands.

"Look Bella, I'll sign the papers if you want," he said sadly. I sighed.

"Why does this have to be so hard?" I whispered sadly. He shook his head.

"Bella, just say what you need to say. I'm tired and I really need to go to bed. I have to wake up early." He said, running his hand through his hair. I used to be the one to do that. I took a deep breath.

"Edward, I know you came to New York". I whispered. He looked shocked at first, but quickly recovered.

"Yeah, well none of that matters now." He sounded pained.

"Edward, why not?" I asked, reaching to touch his shoulder. He cringed.

"How long have you been engaged?" he was in agony now, I could see it. He was trying to hide it, but his eyes gave him away. I was surprised by his question. I sighed.

"Who told you?" I asked, a little frustrated. He glanced down at my hand.

"Your finger."

"Oh," I began playing with the ring absentmindedly.

"Bella, I'm fine. You've moved on and you're engaged. You win, I'll sign the papers. You don't need to do this. _Why_ are you here?" he repeated.

"Edward, I know people are keeping something about you a secret and I need you to tell me what it is. I know we aren't together anymore, but that doesn't mean I love you any less". I told him wholeheartedly.

"Bella, it doesn't matter," Edward insisted, speaking through his teeth.

"Yes, it does Edward," I told him just as firmly. He got up off the couch and went to stand in front of the fire, his back to me. He put his hands on the mantle, resting them there. I could see the muscles in his back through his shirt. He was staring at our wedding picture.

"Edward, I think we owe it to ourselves to be completely honest with each other." That got his attention. He turned around to face me, but didn't move much closer.

"So if I answer this for you, will you answer something for me?" he asked, clarifying. I nodded my head.

"Ask me anything. I'll even go first if it'll make you feel better", I was elated he was finally going to talk. He nodded, pacing slowly in front of the fire, deep in thought.

"Would you mind going first, just for the sake of keeping things straight in my mind?" he asked shyly, coming to sit next to me again. I nodded. It took him a minute to spit out his question.

"Why did you leave me, Bella?" I was shocked to see unshed tears in his eyes. I twisted on the couch a little and pulled my legs underneath me to get comfortable. I took one of his hands in mine.

"Okay, but please don't speak until I finish, let me get this out." I took a deep breath before continuing. "We were young. I was only 18. The majority of eighteen year olds don't have to worry about getting pregnant, married and dealing with a miscarriage all in the span of a few months." I didn't miss Edward's grimace when I said "miscarriage".

"I don't mean to demean your pain as a father, Edward, but that baby was _my_ responsibility. It was _my_ responsibility to bring that baby into the world safely. You won't know what it's like, as a _mother_, to lose a child. Just like I won't know the pain that you face as a father. I wasn't equipped to deal with that kind of loss, Edward. If it helps, I've regretted leaving you like that every day since." I finished in a whisper. Edward laughed darkly, choking on a sob. I squeezed his hand tighter.

"I should never have done that to you. I should have stayed here and faced my problems, but I was scared, Edward. I got it in my head that if I didn't leave you, you were going to leave me." The tears that had been dammed up in Edward's eyes began to fall, mirroring my own face. He shook his head.

"Bella, how could you ever think that I would leave you? Under any circumstances? I love you, Bella," he said, carefully enveloping me in a hug. I relaxed instantly in his arms. I'd missed this feeling. I rested my head on his firm chest, listening to his heart beat. I allowed more tears to slip down my cheeks, hiccupping at my suppressed sobs.

Edward rubbed my back soothingly.

"I don't know, Edward." I whispered, finally able to answer his question.

We were quiet for quite some time. Finally Edward pulled away slightly to look into my eyes.

"I came to New York on an impulse. I missed you and…well, I just missed you. I needed you back. I had no idea where you were, so I just walked around aimlessly, hoping I would run into you. I saw you from across the street. You were with a girlfriend, and the two of you were laughing…you just looked so happy, I didn't want to change that. I got in a cab and came back here. I went to tell you that I'd been going to counseling, at the insistence of my mom, and that I'd made a decision and I needed you to know about that. You were always my best friend Bella, and it was killing me for you to not know what was going on in my life. After what happened….with-with the-baby, I decided to go to school. I graduated from college, premed, last year, and I'm graduating from med school next year". I sat up, and I knew I was beaming.

"Edward! Why didn't you tell me?! That's amazing!" I said, hugging him tighter against me.

Before I even knew what I was doing, my arms were wrapped around my neck my lips were locked with his.

**Next Chapter: A Surprise Vistor**

_"Jake?! What the hell are you doing here?"_


	9. Alice

**Author's Note: I know this chapter is too short. I have two midterms tomorrow. But, if you review I will send you a sneak peak at the next chapter, which should be up by Wednesday. Thanks guys! Disclaimer: I don't own Sweet Home Alabama or Twilight. **

At first, I think I shocked Edward, because he didn't move. Then his hands moved to my shoulders, and he pushed me away. When I looked into his eyes, I only saw hurt.

"Bella, I think you should go home," he said softly, his hands still firmly on my shoulders. Rejection washed through me, and I felt my cheeks heat up. I grabbed my jacket as quickly as I could and nearly ran out of the house and into my car. I peeled out of the driveway and onto the dark road, driving in the direction of my parents house. Tears began to cascade down my cheeks, and I had to pull over to allow myself to calm down.

What the hell had happened in there? I had kissed him…and he had pushed me away. Not that I blamed in. He'd obviously worked very hard to get over me. I pressed my forehead into the steering wheel and cried. I was so confused. I was engaged to Jake. I loved Jake. Truly, I did. I should turn this car around right now, drive to the airport and go back to New York. I could forget about Forks. And most importantly, I could, and would forget about Edward. I groaned when I saw the flashing red and blue lights pull up behind me. It was starting to rain, and the officer emerged from his squad car in a raincoat. The officer did not come to the driver's window. Instead, he came over to the passenger side of the car and slipped in. I breathed a sigh of relief when I realized it was Emmett. He looked alarmed at my appearance.

"Bella, are you okay?" he asked, a little worried. I just nodded, leaning my head back against the head rest.

"Yes, I'm sorry I'm blocking traffic. I just need to calm down."

"What happened?" he asked quickly.

"I went to talk to Edward, and it was a good talk…we didn't fight or anything. But then, I don't know what came over me….but…but-I kissed him." I said quickly, cringing at the words. Emmett stared at me for a moment before his facial expression changed quickly from worried to furious.

"Bella, I have only asked you for one thing since day one. To be careful with Edward," he scolded, pulling out his cell phone. He dialed a number and held the phone to his ear, refusing to look me in the eye.

"Jasper, it's me. Meet me at Edward's. Bella just left-she kissed him." He mumbled angrily. My own anger bubbled too the surface. How dare he? That was none of anyone else's business. The moment he shut the phone, I told him that.

"Emmett," I nearly growled. "That was none of your business. This is not gossip. I told you that as a friend." He looked at me for a moment, scowling.

"Bella, listen to me. I'm going to be harsh with you, because you're not grasping this. Before I say it, I love you Bella, I really do. But Edward is very different than he used to be. I may not know the circumstances around your separation, but I did have to care for my heartbroken best friend when you did. There were things that happened that…" I didn't let him finish.

"Emmett, he told me all about medical school," I rolled my eyes at him. He chuckled darkly.

"Bella, you seem to be under the false assumption that he was somewhat happy, or functioning even, after you left," he told me, his voice dripping in venom. "Now, I am going to ask you once, I'm not going to ask again. Please, for his sake, leave him alone. You don't know what happened while you were gone, and we'd all preferred if it stayed that way. Please, either work things out with him, or get on the first plane out of here and go back where you came from," he snapped, quickly getting out of my car, slamming the door behind him. Emmett got back into the police cruiser, turning on the sirens, and sped off into the direction of Edward. I sat in my car, frozen in shock, until I saw it was time to start making my way to Seattle to pick up Alice from the airport.

On the way, I decided to stop worrying about whatever big secret everyone way trying to keep from me. I would talk to Alice, and I would explain everything. She would know what to do. She always knew what to do. I pulled into the airport's vicinity just as she texted me to say which door she was waiting at. I smiled in anticipation. I saw her almost immediately. She stuck out like a sore thumb in Seattle. She was too fashionable for anywhere outside the city of Manhattan. She was bouncing up and down in excitement as I pulled up next to her. I threw the car in park and jumped out of the car, running into her arms.

"Alice Alice Alice!" I squealed. We were squeezing each other to the point of air loss, but I didn't care. I had endured a very hard few days, and it was refreshing to see a friendly face. She pulled away from me quickly and glanced around in paranoia.

"Alright, lets get out of here and on the road, Bella. We have a lot to talk about," she said seriously, pushing me towards the car. I helped her throw her baggage in the trunk, and got in quickly. I sped out of the parking lot and merged with traffic.

"So, lets start with the fact that the paparazzi has officially declared you MIA." She laughed. I smiled, but couldn't laugh. Firstly, I was still preoccupied about my talk with Emmett. Secondly, I was exhausted.

"So start talking girlfriend," Alice said, moving in her seat so her back was against the window and she was looking right at me. I shook my head.

"Not while I'm driving. But I know of a good diner in the city. We'll go there and I promise I will explain everything," I told her, turning off the airport highway and onto a street. The diner was only three blocks away.

Once we had seated and ordered, I felt Alice kick off her shoes, and sat cross legged in the booth. I laughed at her.

"Getting comfortable?" I asked. She just smiled and nodded, motioning for me to begin. I took a deep breath, deciding to start from the beginning. I recapped everything she already knew quickly.

"Well, there is one aspect that I left out. Actually, it seems no one knew except Edward and I. You see, I'd filed for divorce papers, but he's refused to sign them from the beginning," I told her. I thought her eyes were going to pop out of her head, and she choked on her own saliva.

"You're still married?" she hissed, eyeing my engagement ring. I only nodded, moving my hands to my lap under the table.

"And Jake doesn't know?" she clarified. I nodded again, slowly this time. She thought for a moment.

"Bella, I think before anything else happens, you need to talk to Jake. And you need to tell him the whole story. I know it's painful for you to talk about, but he needs and deserves to know. After you need to do that, you need to talk to Edward." I nodded, knowing Alice was right. I bit my bottom lip, fighting back tears. Alice's face softened.

"Oh Bella, I can't imagine how difficult this all is. Why don't we get out of here?" she soothed, paying the bill before I could protest. She dragged me out to the car, and we made our way to Forks in almost complete silence.

When we pulled into my parents', there was a strange car in the driveway.

"That's weird," I said, furrowing my eyebrows as I pulled in behind the strange, too expensive for Forks car. Alice looked at the car in confusion.

"What?" she asked, not understanding.

"I don't know that car. In this small of a town, everyone knows everyone, including cars," I laughed. My dad was at work, but my mom was home. Alice and I got her bags out of the trunk. I let myself in the front door, and followed the voices that were coming from the living room. Both Alice's and my jaws dropped clear to the floor when we saw who was sitting in my dad's usual chair.

"Jake? What the hell are you doing here?" I asked, completely shocked.

**Next Chapter: The Truth**


	10. Truth

**A.N: First of all, still do not own Twlight or Sweet Home Alabama.**

**Secondly, I am officially on Spring Break. I'm driving home tonight. I will post the next chapter later tonight, so be on the lookout. I'll also be updating Just and Ordinary Day and Just the Beginning. =) Thanks for your honest review guys. And those of you that want Alice/Jasper to meet, you'll get that next chapter. For those of you that are sick of Jacob, this is for you. But he's not gone yet. **

As soon as he saw me, he stood. I carefully walked over to hug him, already paranoid about what my mom had told him. He didn't seem angry or upset, so they must not have been talking long. I hadn't gotten the chance to warn either of my parents about the extent of my "pen name" with Jake. With Jake, it wasn't so much a pen name as a completely different person. He didn't call me Bella like the rest of my friends. I was Izzy or Isabella, or a pet name.

"Um, Jake," I was able to choke out, "Can I talk to you for a minute? Upstairs?" I asked.

Crap. My mom was totally going to think we were having sex or something up there.

"I just want to talk to you about something quickly," I added. He nodded, smiling brilliantly, and motioned for me to lead the way. As I walked up the stairs to my room, I felt like I was walking towards my execution. I was not ready for this talk. But I had to do it. I had to tell him 100% the whole story, because he needed to know, 100% the real me before he married me. When we got to my room, he looked around, smiling.

"Wow, Bella, is this seriously your room?" he chuckled, looking around. I blushed, and sat on the bed, scooting to lean against the headboard. I just nodded shyly.

"Wow, I can't believe I'm in Isabella James' room. I'm so gonna get under her bra tonight," he joked, coming to sit next to me on the bed. I smiled, and turned towards him. I sat cross legged, facing him, my knees pressed against his leg, holding his hand.

With his free hand, he cupped my cheek.

"Sweetheart, what's wrong?" he asked. "I'm really sorry I showed up unannounced. You just sounded so down when I called that I booked the next flight out. I came here, but couldn't get ahold of you. I was eating at that diner in town and your mother came in and recognized me and took me home," he laughed. Now that he explained what had happened, I stopped panicking. At least he didn't know anything yet. I looked down, taking deep breaths to avoid the tears. I had to get through this without crying.

"Jake, about that. There's something I need to tell you," I told him, looking into his eyes. He looked worried instantly, but didn't say anything, waiting for me to continue.

"Jake, before I go any further, I want you to know that I love you very much. But, there's a side of me, the Forks side, that I've hidden away from a lot of people. Well, everyone actually, including myself," I paused to try to gauge his reaction, but he was intent on listening. Good sign. I took another deep breath.

"I need you to promise me something. I need you to promise that you will listen to this entire story without interruption. Please don't get angry and storm off. By all means, feel free to feel whatever you want, but please just hear me out, then once the story is over, if you so choose, you can leave". I told him seriously. He looked slightly more worried, but only slightly so. He just nodded for me to continue. I hesitated, and he picked up on it.

"I promise," he said, leaning over to kiss my cheek. I smiled in gratitude.

"I need to start by telling you that my name is not Isabella James. That is a pen name. My real name is Isabella Swan. Well, actually, it's still Isabella Cullen." His eyes widened at this piece of information. I decided to just go ahead and say it, not wanting to keep him in suspense for long.

"I married my high school sweetheart right out of high school. I got pregnant, and we thought it was the right thing to do." His jaw dropped, and he glanced hurriedly around my room, no doubt trying to look for evidence of a child. I shook my head.

"No, we lost the baby," I told him in a low voice, looking down at my lap. This was the hard part of the story. If I wanted to not cry, I could not look at him. I sniffled before continuing.

"Edward and I married young, and our marriage was not strong enough to withstand the death of a child. I was feeling so guilty and broken I needed to get out of this town. As you could probably tell, Forks is an incredibly small town, and gossip spreads quickly. I couldn't be here, with everyone talking about me." I didn't realize I was crying until Jake moved to wipe the tears away from my cheeks. One hand holding mine tightly, the other playing with my hair. It was comforting.

"I moved to the city, and met you a year later. Edward and I didn't speak for five years, until a few days ago when I came here. I needed him to sign divorce papers. He'd held on tightly to our relationship after I left. He was convinced that I would work through my grief and come back to him, so he kept refusing to sign the divorce papers. I had to threaten further legal action to get him to sign them. But I went to talk to him last night, and once he found out about us, he said he would sign them." I spilled out. I knew I was talking too fast, but I had to get it out just as fast as I could. I took another breath and looked up at Jake. He was looking down at me, obviously shocked. I saw tears welling in his eyes, which only made my own tears begin to fall faster.

"I'm so, so sorry Jake…I was so scared…of everything…I should have told you sooner," I whispered, choking on the lump in my throat. He just nodded, seemingly needing a minute to process all the information I'd given him. He slowly dropped my hand, and removed the other from my hair. Both of his hands went to his hair. He was upset, I could tell. I could count on one hand the number of times I'd seen him like this in our four year long relationship. I just sat there for what seemed like hours, waiting for him to speak.

"Are you angry?" I asked softly, not able to handle the silence anymore. He looked up at me with sad eyes.

"Yeah, although I'm more hurt," he said honestly. I should be upset, but all I could feel was overjoyed that he was talking.

"I understand," I nodded.

"I just wish that you could have trusted me with this, Bella." He admitted. "If we were to get married, what else would you keep from me? I don't want to have secrets in this relationship. Don't get me wrong, you're entitled to your private thoughts, as I am, but this…I just feel like this is something you should have told me. I understand your hesitation to, and I even understand not telling me when we first began dating. But what about all those times that I poured my heart out to you, telling you about the car accident that claimed the lives of my mother and two sisters?" he asked, growing more upset and angry. I was actually relieved at this. I was afraid he would be overly sweet, which would only make me feel guilty.

"I'm just very sorry Jake. But I'm not going to make excuses for myself. I should have told you, end of story." He just nodded, staring at my engagement ring. Slowly, he moved his hand so that he was playing with it, and slid it off. I gasped.

"Jake?! What are you doing?" I cried.

"Bella, I am not breaking up with you. I am, however, ending our engagement. Not because I don't love you, because I do. You have no idea how much, Bella, but you're _married_. I can't be engaged to someone that is still married. I am going to check into a hotel and stay for three days. I promise I will leave you alone. You feel free to call me to talk, but I will leave you alone. Is-Be-you have a big decision to make. From what I heard, I think you are still in love with Edward. And it's to be expected. He was your first love, and you created and lost something precious. But I can't love you enough for the both of us. We both deserve to be happy. That's all I want, is for you to be happy. Please, think about this decision." He smiled for the first time then, which confused me. "And I want you to really think about it. I want you to remove Edward and I from the situation and think about it. I know you, well, I think I know you pretty well. I'm pretty sure you didn't change your personality," he joked, and I nodded in confirmation "It's because I know you so well that I know you will feel guilty about this. You need to forget about what I want, or what your friends or parents want. Forget about what Edward wants. Think about what _you_ want. Again, I will be here for a few days and then I'm going back to Manhattan. Take as much time as you need, just let me know what you decide." He got up and kissed my forehead one more time. "Oh, and once more thing," he said, stopping at the doorframe. "I promise I will not make any statements to the press about this. If you and Alice make one, I will just have my rep confirm, or say 'no comment'." He assured. I smiled in gratitude.

I heard his car pull out of the driveway not long after.

I sat where I was, still a little frozen in shock. When I finally snapped out of it, I was completely humiliated. I could not believe how stupid I had been. My mistakes just continued to snowball and I needed to stop it before it got completely out of control. I couldn't go back downstairs to face anyone. I just needed to curl up in a ball of misery and stay that way. It was what I deserved. I curled up under my covers and closed my eyes, praying for sleep.

--------------------------------------------------------------

When I woke up, it was dark outside and there was a soft knocking at the door.

"Come in," I called, my voice cracking, thick with sleep. I cleared my throat and sat up in bed. Alice poked her head in. I smiled sadly at her, and she came to sit next to me on the bed, putting an arm around me.

"You know Bella, I am a firm believer in working out one's problems logically. I think that the best way is to face the people you are afraid of talking to and getting everything out in the open. However, sometimes, alcohol is best to do first-" I cut her off before she could get out another word.

"Let's go," I said, jumping out of bed.


	11. The Bar

**Author's Note: I am so, so sorry it took me so long to update this. This chapter was hard to write, and all my drafts sucked. But the rest of the story is outlined out better, so they should be more regular now. Thanks so much for your patience. Sorry this one is short, but it was necessary to get the rest of things going. =) If you review, I'll send you a little sneak peak of the next chapter. Thanks again, guys! **

Alice, thankfully, drove to one of the bars in town. Actually, Alice drove to the only bar in town. The bar was small and since it was the only one in town, I always ran into people I knew there. Like Emmett and Jasper. I scanned the cars in the parking lot, but gave a sigh of relief when I didn't recognize any of the cars in the lot. Alice grabbed my hand and dragged me inside. It was noisy, but not too badly. I glanced around the bar self consciously and let out a groan. Alice heard and followed my glance, gasping.

Edward, Emmett and Jasper were sitting at a table, drinking beer. Jasper was facing us, but Edward and Emmett's backs were to us. They were laughing, and hadn't seen us yet. I looked over to subtly tell Alice we needed to go, but she was frozen, her jaw opened. I nudged her.

"Alice," I whispered loudly through my teeth. She snapped out of it.

"Bella, why are you concerned about Jake or Edward when he is sitting in front of us…" she sat, jutting her chin towards Jasper. I rolled my eyes at her. But then, Jasper looked over at us. His smile faltered when he saw me, but then his face mirrored Alice's when he saw her. I rolled my eyes again, and turned on my heel to the bar. I was not nearly drunk enough for this. I headed straight for the bar and ordered two shots of whiskey, taking them both quickly. I looked over to see Jasper and Alice still staring at one other. Edward and Emmett were laughing. Edward and I locked eyes and he smiled at me. I was a little surprised. He looked happier tonight than I'd seen him in a long time. He winked at me and I got a little weak at the knees. He got up from the table and came over to me, still laughing. He sat on the bar stool next to me.

"So it looks like your friend and Jazz are going to get along great," he laughed, ordering another beer.

"That it does. I was going to introduce them, but I don't think either of them would hear me," I said, shrugging my shoulders. I spun around on my stool to face Edward.

"I'm sorry about Jacob," he said quickly, breaking the short silence between us. I just raised an eyebrow at him. How on earth had he heard about that? I knew gossip spread like wildfire in this town, but damn.

"Um…how did you-" he cut me off before I could finish my question. He looked down, and something crossed his eyes. Shame, was it?

"Uh, he might have come in here earlier," he confessed, avoiding my eyes. I groaned, laying my head down on the bar. He chuckled and ran a hand through my hair.

"Are you okay?" he asked, sounding concerned. I just nodded the best that I could.

"I'm just…uh, I'm just a little embarrassed that you know about all that," I confessed, staring at the bar.

"Embarrassed? Why?" he was confused. Before I could answer, Emmett walked over, sitting on the other side of me.

"Holy crap, those two are…just, wow". He laughed. I looked over, and Alice and Jasper were sitting at the table now, talking intently about something. I laughed. In the time I'd known Alice I never knew her to act like this with any one.

"What the hell is wrong with them?" Emmett asked almost angrily, taking a long swig out of his beer bottle.

"Love," I said bluntly. Emmett and Edward just stared at me like I had grown another head. After a few minutes of awkward silence, Edward held out his hand to me.

"Walk with me?" he asked softly. I just nodded and slipped off my bar stool.

"We'll be right back, Emmett." He turned to tell his best friend, before escorting me out of the bar. It was getting chilly, so I wrapped my jacket tighter around my body. Edward had his hands stuffed in the pockets of his.

"Did you want to talk about something?" I asked him. He nodded, and stopped walking. We had just passed the parking lot of the bar.

"I'm sorry about last night," he started to say, but I stopped him.

"No, Edward. I'm the one that should be apologizing. I kissed you on impulse, I'm so sorry for confusing you like that". I told him. He looked a little hurt by my statement.

"Oh, okay. Well then, that's alright." He said awkwardly, running a shaky hand through his hair. He started to say something, but then closed his mouth.

"What is it, Edward?" I asked gently. If I remembered anything about Edward, it was that he was a 'suffer in silence' type of man. It was difficult for him to talk about things unless you asked straight out. And even then…

"Bella…um, what's happening with Jake?" he asked quickly, looking a little ashamed that he'd asked.

"Oh, well, I don't exactly know. He's going to stay in a hotel for three days. I'm supposed to be thinking about what I want. He said he'd give me all the time that I needed, but he's catching a flight back to New York in 3 days." I told him honestly. He considered that information for a moment.

"Did you tell him-you know, everything?" he asked. I knew he was hinting about the baby. I nodded, looking down at the ground.

"I felt like I owed him that. I'd lied to him about everything else," I told him, but he didn't seem to be surprised by that information. I'd forgotten momentarily that Edward said Jake had come into the bar. A very small part of me wanted to know how that conversation had gone, but a larger part of me did not.

"Edward, does anyone, outside your mom, know about the baby?" I asked quietly. It took him a moment to answer.

"None of our friends do, but Carlisle, Emmett's dad does. Some things happened, and I had to tell him," he admitted. I wanted to be angry, but I didn't know why. Just that I couldn't be mad about that. Truthfully, I was even a little glad that he'd told someone. Alice and Jake both knew. I was a little upset that Emmett and Jasper didn't know, though. And I was really curious as to how Edward had to tell Carlisle.

"I know it's your decision, Bella, but if you could not tell Jasper or Emmett, or let Alice tell them, I'd really appreciate it. I'd prefer it if they didn't know." He told me, but refused to look up at me.

"Sure, I can do that," I agreed wholeheartedly. He smiled in gratitude.

"Well I should get back in there, I don't want to abandon my friends." He began to walk away, but I caught him by the arm.

"Edward, I never admitted to you that what I did was wrong. I'm sorry. I should have…handled things differently. But I was young, stupid and scared. I was afraid of so many things, and didn't want to face anything, so I did what I do best. I ran". I admitted, shrugging my shoulders. He gave me a small smile and leaned forward to kiss my forehead.

"Bella, please stop apologizing to me. I get it. We're older now. It's fine." He promised. We began to walk back to the bar, but halfway there he stopped and turned to me. His face was anguished, but he was trying hard to hide it.

"Are you doing anything tomorrow?" he asked, shyly. I shook my head, but got a little mad at the excitement that rose from inside of me.

"Good. Can you bring those divorce papers by? I can sign them then," he said quickly, before disappearing inside.

I stood outside, completely frozen.

**Next Chapter: Bella makes her decision**


	12. The Break Up

**A/N: Alright guys, here's another chapter for you. I know, I'm sorry it's short. The following chapters should be longer. These were slightly necessary to get out of the way. Thanks for your reviews, as always! **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twlight. **

I couldn't go back inside, so I sent Alice a text message to meet me outside. She hurried outside, looking confused. I was leaning against the trunk of her car, tears streaking down my face. She wrapped an arm around my shoulders.

"Bella, honey, what happened?" she asked softly. It took me a moment to compose myself enough to speak.

"He wants me to come over tomorrow. To sign divorce papers." I told her honestly. She slowly nodded her head.

"Bella, what is it that you are upset about? Do you not want a divorce from Edward?"

"No. I mean, yes. I don't know…" I said honestly. I wasn't exactly sure what I wanted, but I did know one thing.

"But, I do know one thing, Alice," I said, my voice shaking. I couldn't believe I was about to say this. "I can't marry Jake," I whispered, wiping at the tears on my cheeks. Alice just squeezed me tighter.

"Okay, it's okay, Bella, we will figure this out together. Don't worry." Alice soothed, wrapping me in a tight hug.

"I think I'm going to go over there, Alice. I need to end this now. I don't know what I'm going to do about Edward yet, but Jake deserves more than second place."

"Okay, let me go tell Jasper I'm leaving. I'll be right back," she looked disappointed to be leaving, and I couldn't do that to her.

"Wait, Alice, don't do that. Can you drop me off at my house real quick so that I can get my car?" I asked she nodded, and went to tell Jasper she'd be right back.

"Oh, and Alice? Please don't tell anyone what I'm doing." She just nodded.

I pulled up to Jake's hotel not long after that. I was sad but determined. I had to get this done. For Jake's sake. I was a wreck. Everyone was right, of course. I hadn't properly mourned for the loss of my child, I couldn't marry someone until I sorted through everything that happened then. There was no telling how long that would take. I had texted him to be sure it was alright if I came over, and he texted me back "of course", and told me his room number. I knocked on his door quickly, before I could lose my nerve. He answered after a moment. When he opened the door, I almost chickened out. He looked good. But, not as good as Edward. He smiled and stepped aside so that I could come in, and he motioned for me to sit on the couch.

"Well, you didn't take as long as I thought you would take," he chuckled uncomfortably and sat down next to me. I smiled and took his hand in mine.

"Jake, first of all, thank you for being so calm about all of this. I treated you terribly, and I never should have put you in this position." I told him, sincerely apologetic. I felt the tears begin to gather behind my eyes, but I quickly blinked them back.

"Jake, being back here after so long, and after talking to you about all this earlier, I've come to realize that I haven't mourned for my baby yet" I put my hand on my stomach subconsciously, "and before I get into a relationship, especially a relationship as important as an engagement, I need to grieve." I told him honestly. He looked hurt for a moment, but then looked up at me.

"Are you getting back together with him?" he asked. I shook my head.

"No. We're meeting tomorrow to sign the divorce papers". I told him honestly. He just nodded his head in understanding.

"Jake, I love you, and everything that we had together was real. I don't want you to think I was trying to replace Edward, or create a life to cover up my old one", I explained.

"Don't worry, I don't think that, not at all. I know that you were being sincere with me. I understand that you didn't tell me about all this, especially if you hadn't coped with that. I can't say that I understand really, I guess, because I've never had to go through that…" he trailed off.

"I hope you never do, Jake." I whispered in agony, feeling the full pain of my loss for the first time in a long time. Jake seemed to notice because he opened his arms, and I wept bitterly into his chest. He held me tightly and ran his fingers through my hair. He didn't say anything, just rocked me back and forth until my sobs subsided.

"So what are you going to do?" he whispered, cupping my face in his hands.

"I don't know," I admitted. "I think I will stay here for awhile and go to grief counseling. Maybe I'll go with Edward, if he still goes." I shrugged. Jake looked like he wanted to say something, but thought better of it.

"What is it, Jake?" I asked, curious. Jake never censored, he always told you what he was thinking, even if it was blunt and brutal. He thought for a moment, choosing his words carefully.

"Bella, I hesitate to say anything, because it's not my place. But, after being here, and speaking to your mom and some of your friends, I have to say it. Bella, Edward loves you. He must have been broken hearted when you left. You were, and are still, married to him. May I suggest that you two try to get to the bottom of what happened that made you leave him? Aside from the baby?" he said carefully. I just nodded. He hugged me again. I wasn't sure if he'd gotten that I couldn't be with him. Ever. How do you say that to someone?

"If you're ever in the area again, you be sure to look me up," I attempted to joke. Jake laughed.

"I don't forsee me being back in Forks for anything, but if I'm playing a game in Seattle, I'll call you for sure," he promised, drawing me into another hug.

"Just whatever you do, please be happy." He whispered. "You deserve only good things, Isabella. Remember that". He kissed me softly on the forehead. "And you call me when you're back in New York." I smiled at the thought.

"I will, Jake. Friends, then?" I asked. He nodded.

"Of course. I want to see how this one turns out," he promised.

So did I.

I left Jake's hotel room not long after. The talk hadn't gone as badly as I had feared. In fact, it had gone pretty well for a "break up". I headed back to my house, and found that Alice was home, sitting in her pajamas on the front steps, wrapped in a blanket. She stood when I got out of the car.

"How'd it go?" she asked softly once I had reached the steps. I shrugged my shoulders.

"I think it went well. We've decided to remain friends." I told her. I was exhausted and just wanted to go to bed.

"Hey Bella, promise me you'll actually talk to Edward when you go over there tomorrow?" Alice asked shyly. I looked at her for a moment.

She was hiding something. She _knew_. She knew the secret that the whole town, minus me, seemed to know.

"Alice. Tell me what you know." I demanded. She rolled her eyes.

"Bella, I don't know anything. I'm asking as your friend to give this guy a chance."

"Alice. I've decided that I need to be alone to figure this out. I've shoved this in the back of my mind and refused to think about it for years. I need to deal with it and I need to deal with it alone. I may ask Edward to go to grief counseling with me, as parents, but that's it. He wants a divorce, Alice. Please, leave it alone". I said, as kindly as I could. I stood and walked into the house as quietly as I could. I changed into a pair of sweatpants and a tank top quickly, climbing under the covers. I was asleep in a matter of seconds.

**Next Chapter: Edward's Secret**


	13. The Talk

**_Author Note: _**

**_*Phew* That was a tough chapter to write. You have no idea how many times I re-wrote this. Proceed with caution, it's a difficult story. Tissue warning, I think. Also, this chapter is dedicated to my friend Mitch, who took his own life 6 months ago, and to a wonderful author-Daddys Little Cannibal, who was killed a few nights ago in a drunk driving accident. Review please!_**

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight.** _

When I woke up the next morning, the light was streaming through the windows. I was dreading today, but it was a necessary step.

I laid in bed, staring up at the blank ceiling, twirling my hair between my fingertips. I had no idea how to handle this, mainly because my mind kept going back and forth between options.

I wanted to beg him to give us another chance.

Two minutes later, I wanted to sign the divorce papers and get this over with, once and for all.

Then I wanted to just put the divorce on a backburner and give us another shot.

Then I was back at square one. I sighed, glancing at the clock. I needed to get ready and go over to talk to Edward. I would know what to do once I saw him, I was sure of it.

I quickly showered and dressed and pulled the blue folder out of my suitcase. Alice was already gone, for which I was thankful. I made my way to Edward's, and parked on the street outside the house. I sat and stared at the house, closing my eyes, reliving the good memories.

I remember our wedding night rather well. I laughed at the memory. Edward carrying me in his strong arms, running from the car to the house. He was so excited about the prospect of being together that he wasn't looking where he was going and hit my head on a pillar at the top of the front steps. I giggled at the memory and sighed, picking up the divorce papers that were sitting on the front seat. I got out of the car, straightening my clothes nervously. I had picked out jeans and a simple black t-shirt with flip flops. I wanted to be comfortable. Especially here, in Forks. I slowly made my way up the walk, up the front stairs and knocked lightly on the door. I took a deep breath as I heard Edward moving towards the door. When he opened the door, he truly looked surprised, which shocked me a little. Hadn't he told me just last night to stop by?

Oh my gosh, had that been a test? Should I have not shown up, to win him back?

"Um, I'm sorry," I said nervously, backing away slowly. "I thought you were expecting me…" I trailed off, glancing toward my car nervously.

"Oh, no, I'm sorry, I was," he stuttered, sounding just as nervous as I felt. That calmed me, but only a little. He laughed nervously, running a hand through his disheveled hair.

"I actually was surprised you knocked. I assumed you'd just walk in". He admitted, a little shyly. I laughed.

"That wasn't received too well last time, I decided against it". I joked. He smiled, stepping aside from the doorway so I could come in. I slid past him, walking into the living room, sitting on the edge of the couch. He walked over, sitting next to me. I set the papers on the coffee table, sliding them towards him, placing the pen on top of the blue folder.

Suddenly, my mouth was very dry and my palms were sweating. I felt my heart beat begin to pick up.

"Um," I gulped, trying to swallow, "you sign on the blue tags, I'll sign on the yellow". I explained. He nodded, but looked surprised at something.

"What?" I asked softly, not trusting my shaky voice.

"No, it's just…well, I'm a little surprised that you haven't signed them yet". He said, opening the folder to glance at the first page. He scanned through the document quickly, skimming over the agreements. I was relatively sure he knew what we'd decided on. I'd told him he could have everything. The house, the car, the furniture, I didn't want any of it. I had even offered to give him more money, but he'd declined. Not that I was surprised by that. His forehead wrinkled in concentration as he read over the long, confusing document. He cleared his throat quietly, throwing me one more desperate look. I smiled at him, to the best of my ability. He returned a weak smile and set the folder back on the coffee table. He flipped to the page with the little blue tag and picked up the pen. I licked my lips in nervousness.

Why was this overwhelming feeling of dread starting to pulse through me? All I wanted to do right now was take the pen from his hand and rip up those papers. He pressed the tip of the pen to the paper, but hesitated, biting his lip. His eyes stayed glued to the folder.

"Edward," I whispered before I could stop myself. His head snapped up, his eyes wide with revelation.

"Bella?" he was confused. My heart fell to my stomach. He was seriously confused? Now I felt stupid. I bit down nervously on my bottom lip.

"You can't sign these papers without telling me the whole story," I blurted before I could stop myself. He just stared at me, jaw slack and eyes wide. Finally, after about a minute of staring at me, he regained control of himself, his eyes going back to normal and his mouth closing. He set the pen down and nodded. He stood and began to pace.

"Bella, you aren't going to like this. You're going to blame yourself. I don't want to tell you this," he argued. His voice was shaking and he was speaking quickly, tripping over his words.

"Edward, we were married. I deserve to know the whole story before we get divorced," I reasoned. I needed to buy time. I needed just a few more moments to think this over. Even more, I needed to make an informed decision. Something told me that this small amount of information could change everything. It could make or break this relationship. He only nodded at my logic, standing once again before the fireplace, facing me this time. He crossed his arms over his chest, looking me in the eyes. I felt vulnerable.

"Bella, I will tell you. But you have to promise me a few things," he compromised. I nodded in agreement.

"First of you, you can't blame yourself. This was my fault, I didn't handle anything correctly. I see that now. Secondly, this conversation stays between you and I. I know other people know about what happened, but I think they only speculate, they don't know what really happened. I don't like to talk about it, so I just never corrected them. Finally, you have to let me finish this story before you say anything. Are we clear?" he clarified, looking a little…remote. All the emotion was gone from his face; it was as if he'd switched to autopilot. I only nodded as a promise, motioning for him to begin. He took a deep breath, never breaking eye contact with me.

"After we lost the baby, and then after you left, things here were…not good. Well, actually, that's an understatement. I didn't know how to handle things. You were, well, you still are, my whole life, Bella. In one moment, I lost everything". His voice cracked with emotion. I stayed true to my promise, making no move to comfort him or cut in. It was killing me to stay seated on the couch. I wanted to pull him into my arms and comfort him in any way I could.

"Well, I um, I didn't know what to do. I-well, we were so young, Bella. I'd never had to deal with anything this big. I didn't know what to do, how to handle it," the pace of the story began to accelerate and he tripped over his words. "I stayed in bed, unable to do anything. Em and Jazz came over, trying to do what they could, but nothing helped. I don't even remember this really, to be honest. It's all a blur. That's how out of it I was. I was in bed 24/7, but I couldn't sleep. I fell asleep once, for an hour, and woke up in a cold sweat, screaming and crying from a horrific dream about you…and our…baby," he was starting to get choked up again. He took another deep breath as a tear slid down my cheek. He looked away from me, breaking eye contact for the first time.

"Finally, I couldn't keep myself awake anymore. Emmett dragged his dad over here and Carlisle sedated me. Eventually, I woke up, hours later. Carlisle was passed out in a chair next to my bed and I could hear Emmett snoring out here. I was not myself and not thinking. All I could think was how badly I wanted to sleep. I wanted to sleep forever and wake up when this terrible nightmare was over. I shuffled over to the bathroom, sifting through the medicine cabinet, looking for anything that would knock me out. I began taking whatever I could, unconcerned about drug interactions. I just wanted to sleep. I wanted to sleep and wake up…I don't even know. But anyway, you can imagine what happened when Carlisle woke up, finding me passed out, asleep, in the bathroom, surrounded by medicine bottles. There were painkillers-both prescription and over the counter, Benadryl, Tylenol PM, over the counter sleep aids…you name it, I took it". He confessed. I felt my eyes widen and my jaw drop as I comprehended what he was saying.

Was he telling me that he'd attempted suicide?

As if he could hear my thoughts, he shook his head furiously.

"No, I know what you're thinking. I didn't try to commit suicide," he defended, finally coming to sit next to me, taking my hands in his. "At least, not intentionally. I just, I had no idea how to _handle_ this. My wife had left me after a miscarriage. I didn't know if I should go after you or give you time to grieve and heal on your own. I didn't know who to talk to. I didn't want to seem weak. I was supposed to be the husband. It was my job to care for you…I was so ashamed that I couldn't do that, Bella. Please don't be angry…it was, in no way, intentional." He finished, looking into my eyes to gauge my reaction.

I was speechless. I had no idea how to respond to this. I'd had no idea what had been going on. Suddenly, everything clicked. Everyone being so protective of Edward. This was why. Then, things clicked further.

He'd never corrected them. He let them all think he'd attempted suicide. I looked up into his watery gaze.

"Edward," my voice was shaky; I was surprised I could choke words out. "You mean, you took the medicine as a…sedative, but everyone assumed you'd attempted…." I couldn't say the words out loud. I couldn't think about how close I'd come to losing Edward. He didn't have the words to answer my question, he just nodded.

We sat there in silence for a long time. It was at least an hour. My head was in a fog. I couldn't think straight. So many things were swirling around in my head. Possibility after possibility.

And then, as I glanced down at the divorce papers, I realized, and snapped out of my trance that I'd been in since I had left Forks.

Oh my gosh. I had compartmentalized my life so much, that I shut the door on these events of my life so tightly that I hadn't ever dealt with them. The grief came screaming back. I'd lost a child and a husband. The love of my life, who was sitting next to me, silent tears streaming down his face as he relived the painful memories. It was then that I knew what I needed to do. I pulled myself closer to him, wiggling my way into his arms. I crushed myself against his chest. Moments later, before I could stop or control them, bitter, painful sobs ripped from my chest without warning. Edward, stunned, slowly moved his hands to my back, rubbing it with soothing circles.

A few minutes later, I'd calmed down. I had decided. I pulled away from Edward slightly, still in his strong, familiar embrace. I needed to see his face when I said this.

"Edward," I stared, taking a deep breath and swallowing, trying desperately to steady my shaky voice. "Please don't sign those papers. Not yet. Lets give this a real shot. I need grief counseling, and I want to go with you, as parents. I need you Edward." I blurted out.

Damn it. That sounded so much more…eloquent in my mind. I had the words planned out so perfectly and then…

Edward let out a sigh of relief, crushing me into his chest. I felt him begin to shake as he cried softly into my hair.


	14. MiniChapter: The Discovery

**Author's Note: This is a little mini-chapter. I'm sorry guys, it's finals week, but I'm finishing them up, and am hoping to get this story finished up so I can post more. Let me know what you're thinking. =) Thanks so much for reading and reviewing!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight. **

Edward and I just sat like that, crying and holding each other, for a very long time. I finally regained control of myself, my sobs subsiding. Edward had quieted, his only goal to comfort me. He always put my needs before his own. Which was probably why we were sitting here in this incredibly messed up situation, not that it was solely his fault.

I took a deep, steadying breath and sat up a little, keeping my head on his chest. I moved to look up at him. He gave me his trademark crooked smile that I feel in love with so many years ago.

"What do we do now?" I asked in a shaky voice. Edward kissed my hair.

"I'm not sure love. I never dreamed we'd be…here". He admitted. I nodded in agreement.

"I think I'm going to move back here. At least for awhile, I need a break from New York". I decided quickly. But the moment it was out of my mouth, I knew it was necessary. Edward looked excited at the prospect.

"Are you sure though? Your career is in New York. Your life is there". He asked, hesitantly. I shook my head sharply, pulling away to look into his eyes. I grasped his hands in mine.

"First of all Edward, my life is here. You _are_ my life. You always have been, nothing changed. Second of all, that is the beauty of being a writer. I can write wherever I want. Living in New York was an escape. I pushed all this to the back of my mind and locked it up in a drawer. I need to deal with the miscarriage and I need to work things out with you. If that means just grieving and healing as parents, that's fine. If that means working things out, as a couple and as parents, that's great, too." I admitted. We had to be honest with one another now.

"Bella, what do you want?" Edward asked simply.

"What do you mean?" I was a little confused by his question.

"I mean, what do you want out of this, Bella. Forget what I think, what your parents think…just what do you want?" he asked. I didn't even hesitate.

"I want to be with you, Edward. Forever. If that means years and years of counseling before we're ready for that, I'm fine with that. But I need you, Edward," I admitted quickly, close to tears. I looked up into Edward's eyes to see that he had tears as well. He crushed me in a hug.

"Oh baby, you have no idea how happy that makes me to hear you say that," Edward said into my hair. I held him tightly against me, needing to be as close as possible right now.

We were interrupted when the phone rang, breaking the deafening silence. I pulled away, giving Edward an indication that it was okay to go answer it. He shook his head.

"No, it's alright, I'll let the machine get it". He said quietly, stroking my cheek.

"No, it's okay. Go ahead and answer it". I told him honestly, untangling myself from his strong embrace. He hesitated for a moment, giving me one last squeeze before he jumped up to answer the phone.

He answered, taking the call into the bedroom, but he left the door open. I stood, needing to walk around. I walked over to the book cases on either side of the fireplace. They were well stocked; many of them mine from so many years ago. I ran my fingers over the spines, tracing some of the titles of books I knew all too well. Books that had become a safe haven for me, allowing me temporarily relief from my hellish situation and characters that had become friends. On the bottom shelf of the bookcase, I noted there was a thick stack of pack. On a closer glance, I recognized it as a manuscript. I gently pulled it out of the bottom of the stack, recognizing this particular manuscript immediately. My breath caught in my throat as I choked on a sob. I could not believe this.


	15. MiniChapter: The Discovery II

Thank you thank you thank you for your support, concern, love and dedication for this story. Don't worry, this is not the end. Not even close. Just a small sneak peak 'til I can have enough time to write a serious chapter. :) Which will be soon, because I am back in civilization.

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I blinked several times, willing my eyes to adjust. I tried desperately to sort out the many different emotions pulsing through me.

Confusion. How exactly did Edward get a manuscript for my book?

Joy that he had read it. Had he picked up on the subliminal messages I'd left him?

Anger that he had it.

But most of all, how did Edward manage to get a copy of this? I know Alice had no idea about Edward, so it couldn't have been her. And then, it dawned on me.

My dad.

My dad had been so excited to get a copy of that. My guess was that he had read it and picked up on the similarities in the story and had given it to Edward, hoping Edward would draw the same conclusions.

I remember the exact moment I began writing this book. It was the night Jake and I first spent the night together. The first night I had tried to sleep in Jakes arms. I couldn't stop thinking of Edward. I needed so badly in that moment to talk to him, that I began a book in which I could have the conversations with Edward I wanted to have without having to actually talk to him. I never thought he would want to speak to me again after what I put him through years ago.

Looking back, I always knew something was missing with Jake and I. We never fit together like Edward and I did. Furthermore, Jake and I never had a lot of fun together; our relationship was all business.

Edward interrupted me from my own thoughts, walking out of the bedroom with a smile on his face, mid laugh.

"Bella, you'll never guess what-" he froze momentarily when he saw what I was holding in my now shaking hands. We stared at each other for a moment before he moved. He walked slowly towards me, his hands in his pocked, an almost ashamed expression on his face.

"Your dad mentioned to me that I should read it when it came out, but I couldn't wait for that. I begged him to give me his copy, which he was happy to give me". Edward laughed, his thumbs brushing away the tears I hadn't known I cried.

"I am the person you dedicated it to, aren't I?" Edward asked with a smug smile. I laughed through my tears and nodded. He laughed, enveloping me into a large, bone crushing, Emmett-worthy hug.

"We're going to be okay…" he whispered quietly.


	16. Central Park

A/N: I'm so sorry this took me so long to update. Thank you all for being so patient with me. I'm not sure how you're going to feel about this chapter, but please review and let me know what you think regardless. I promise you won't have to wait so long for my next update on this one. Love you all.

Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns Twilight.

Bella's POV

3 months later…Manhattan, NY

I was standing in the middle of my apartment's living room. I had been back in Manhattan for about a week. I ran my hand through my long wavy hair as I looked around in astonishment. This apartment was a complete wreck. I was not wearing the clothes for this; I was going to kill Alice. I wish I could slip off these heels for a few minutes, but I knew that if I took them off I'd never be able to get them back on. My feet were killing me already and I hadn't even left my apartment yet. Alice was forcing me to go to some cocktail party with her for the publishing company I'm working with. I heard footsteps behind me, slowly turning around. The moment I saw his face, I couldn't help but smile.

"You look amazing," I told him, straightening his tie slightly as he wrapped his arms around my waist. He kissed my bare shoulder, and I tried to suppress the shiver that ran down my spine. He laughed into my skin.

"I'm glad I still have that effect on you," he smiled, leaning in to kiss the corner of my mouth sweetly.

"Edward, you always have, and always will have that effect on me," I told him, leaning my body into his. He groaned.

"Bella, if you do that we aren't going to make it to this party and then Alice will kill us both. Let's go," he said, lightly patting my butt. He took my hand, leading me to the door when he paused, pulling me into his arms again.

"Have I told you today how lovely you look tonight?" Edward asked softly. I smiled, shaking my head.

"Well. You look beautiful, Bella. You always do". He said, kissing beneath my ear.

"We'd better get going, Casanova. You're right, we have to get out of here now," we laughed, closing the apartment door behind us.

Edward and I had been in couple's therapy for a few months and had been making a lot of progress. The most important thing we've learned is communicating effectively. I had decided to move back home to Washington, so Edward and I had come back to New York to box up my apartment. I was able to break my lease, and while I wanted badly to move into our old house with Edward, we agreed that we didn't want to rush into anything again. So, I had found a small house near his and was moving in at the end of the month. I decided to just ship all my boxes from New York to Washington. Because while I was head over heels in love with Edward, I had an inkling that our relationship may not be able to withstand the test of a road trip just yet.

Edward and I walked down the street, hand in hand. I loved New York this time of year. It was going to be so hard to leave it, but Edward was so worth it. The more time we spent together, the more I am reminded of the man I fell in love with another lifetime ago. I'd had this strange feeling in the pit of my stomach lately; I wish so badly that I could go back in time. I would never had taken Edward or his love for me for granted. Even after all this time and effort, I could tell Edward still had a difficult time trusting me. He was trying, and that was all I could ask for at the moment.

The party went well, but it was a blur. Before I knew it, Edward and I were in a cab on our way back to my apartment for the evening; and we were both a little buzzed. Edward was nuzzling my neck. We stumbled out of the cab, Edward not allowing me to leave the warm embrace of his arms. I laughed as he tightened his embrace as I tried to unlock the door.

"Edward, please," I laughed, trying to pry his hands from my waist. He just laughed, moving one hand to unlock and open the door with ease.

He hurried me inside and shut the door behind us with his foot, not even bothering to lock the door. Normally, I couldn't lock the door quick enough when I was alone, but with Edward here, I didn't care.

Edward and I had made so much progress. We were being so careful not to rush into anything; I was trying hard not to let myself fall too quickly again. We'd rushed into this once, and after everything we'd been through now, I didn't want to mess this up again. All my previous fears had melted away. I felt like I could survive anything; so long as I had Edward.

Then, Edward did something that completely shocked me. He picked me up, wrapping my legs around his waist and carried me into the bedroom.

It was our last day in New York before I moved back to Washington. Edward wanted to take a walk through Central Park, since it was such a beautiful day. We were holding hands, but Edward seemed a little distant. I wondered if he regretted the other night. I sure didn't. Before a few nights ago, Edward had such strict boundaries about sex. We'd been careful not to jump into that; until a few nights ago. But it had been wonderful; exactly how I remembered it, only better. My train of thought was broken as Edward led me down the steps to my favorite fountain in the park. We sat on the bench as I nestled into Edward's side. I leaned over, kissing just beneath his ear. He chucked and pulled me closer to his side.

"I love you, Bella". Edward told me solemnly, looking straight into my eyes. The rest of the park melted away, it was only Edward and I.

"I love you, too". I whispered. Edward smiled, digging in his pocket for something. Then, before I could comprehend what was happening, Edward moved from the seat next to me to kneeling in front of me, holding both my hands in one of his.

"Bella, I've loved you for as long as I can remember. I know we've not been back together that long, but I know that this is right. We're on the right track and there's nothing more that I've ever wanted than for us to be together. Will you marry me?"

For a moment, I was speechless. I was trying to decide if this was real. Were we ready for this? How would this work? How would our friends react.

And then, I found the answer kneeling in front of me with patient eyes.

"Yes," I blurted through tears. As Edward scooped me into his arms, swinging me around.


End file.
